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Valparaiso to Fort Lauderdale aboard the Celebrity Infinity: A Photo Review


polySeraph
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I am thinking of booking the reverse trip for December 2016. I am worried about the cost of airfare. Did you use Choice Air? Was if very expensive to go one way to Chile?

 

Thanks for a very informative review.

 

 

Sorry I am so late in replying. We considered several different alternatives (including ff miles) for the one-way air segment, but in the end, we used Choice Air. Before booking, I read and considered the excellent sticky on the Cruise Air forum to familiarize myself with all the "gotchas". We arranged to arrive in Chile 2 days before embarkation, giving us a 2-day margin to sort things out, should something go amiss. In the end, everything worked out as planned, and we spent those 2 pre-cruise days getting to know Valparaiso.

 

Glad you enjoyed the review! If you have other questions, please let me know.

Edited by polySeraph
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  • 10 months later...

Wow, what a terrific review of your trip and to share it with all cruisers....I'm just so impressed with your writing skills and giving your time to this project. I'm especially grateful because we are taking this trip in Dec. but in reverse, departing FL and arriving Valparaiso. And since this is our second ever cruise(newbies) I appreciate all the info on what to see and do in the ports. I will be studying your postings to figure out what we will do. Again, thanks so much.

Patsy Bushdorf

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Wow, what a terrific review of your trip and to share it with all cruisers....I'm just so impressed with your writing skills and giving your time to this project. I'm especially grateful because we are taking this trip in Dec. but in reverse, departing FL and arriving Valparaiso. And since this is our second ever cruise(newbies) I appreciate all the info on what to see and do in the ports. I will be studying your postings to figure out what we will do. Again, thanks so much.

Patsy Bushdorf

 

As you can see by scrolling up in the thread, I also was one who appreciated and took advantage of the information in this review. A few added notes...

 

We did this route in December 2015. Flew to FLL, boarded the next afternoon. After 1-2 sea days we had a wonderful day in Cartagena. No tour, just four of us taking a cab, negotiating a $20/hr rate. We started on the hill by the monastery, then most of our time in the old city. Our taxi driver turned out to be a very knowledgable guide. Manta was similar; we took the shuttle to the square, found a taxi, again negotiated a $20/hr rate. We wanted to go to see the hats, he took us first to see the fish market. Great views! Then to Montecristo with a brief stop along the way to meet and visit with his family. I was/am disappointed with there quality of the $50 hat I bought. Lima was similar, we took a cab, spent the day working our way through a short list of places I wanted to visit, mostly in the colonial section. In Arica we joined a group organized by a CC member, went up the road almost to the Bolivian border, beautiful lake, mountain views, wildlife. Plenty of time to appreciate it all doing it in a small group. We saw 7-8 large Celebrity chartered buses passing through, barely giving their people time to get off the bus before calling "time is up!" The altitude on this trip can be a problem for some; three of 12 on our trip had moderate to severe reaction. In Valparaiso we went to our hotel on disembarking, met Juan Victor of Perro Tours, spent the day with him on a walking tour of the older section of the city (where the walls are a panoply of murals). Next day we walked on our own. Following day we went to Santiago (with Juan Victor and one of his drivers) with a wine tasting and lunch stop along the way, then an introduction to Santiago. Day after that we flew to Easter Island for 4 days, it was a worthwhile trip but next time I would search out a better guide with a smaller group. (Can't go into several of the Park areas without a licensed guide, so you need to hire someone somehow.) Back in Santiago for a few days, then home for New Year's Eve. All in all a very good trip, highly recommended, especially if you are able to spend time in Chile after the cruise.

 

Stan

Edited by GottaKnowWhen
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Day after that we flew to Easter Island for 4 days, it was a worthwhile trip but next time I would search out a better guide with a smaller group. (Can't go into several of the Park areas without a licensed guide, so you need to hire someone somehow.)

 

I visited Easter Island, we rented a car and went to the quarry, other moai sites, the caldera, caves, pretty much all over and did not need a licensed guide. You're required to buy a national park pass for $50 but that's it, you can definitely do it on your own if you like.

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I visited Easter Island, we rented a car and went to the quarry, other moai sites, the caldera, caves, pretty much all over and did not need a licensed guide. You're required to buy a national park pass for $50 but that's it, you can definitely do it on your own if you like.

 

There may be one or two exceptions but generally I think you are correct - you can do it on your own. However, I think a half-day or even one-day guided tour could be useful, the guides are local (with university degrees in archaeology etc) and provide interesting insights different from most guide books. One couple in our group bailed out after the first morning, fed up with the overcrowded bus and some other things. They rented an ATV and did their own thing for the next few days. In retrospect I think they did the right thing. A little bit of the expert local perspective, and then go explore.

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As you can see by scrolling up in the thread, I also was one who appreciated and took advantage of the information in this review. A few added notes...

 

We did this route in December 2015. Flew to FLL, boarded the next afternoon. After 1-2 sea days we had a wonderful day in Cartagena. No tour, just four of us taking a cab, negotiating a $20/hr rate. We started on the hill by the monastery, then most of our time in the old city. Our taxi driver turned out to be a very knowledgable guide. Manta was similar; we took the shuttle to the square, found a taxi, again negotiated a $20/hr rate. We wanted to go to see the hats, he took us first to see the fish market. Great views! Then to Montecristo with a brief stop along the way to meet and visit with his family. I was/am disappointed with there quality of the $50 hat I bought. Lima was similar, we took a cab, spent the day working our way through a short list of places I wanted to visit, mostly in the colonial section. In Arica we joined a group organized by a CC member, went up the road almost to the Bolivian border, beautiful lake, mountain views, wildlife. Plenty of time to appreciate it all doing it in a small group. We saw 7-8 large Celebrity chartered buses passing through, barely giving their people time to get off the bus before calling "time is up!" The altitude on this trip can be a problem for some; three of 12 on our trip had moderate to severe reaction. In Valparaiso we went to our hotel on disembarking, met Juan Victor of Perro Tours, spent the day with him on a walking tour of the older section of the city (where the walls are a panoply of murals). Next day we walked on our own. Following day we went to Santiago (with Juan Victor and one of his drivers) with a wine tasting and lunch stop along the way, then an introduction to Santiago. Day after that we flew to Easter Island for 4 days, it was a worthwhile trip but next time I would search out a better guide with a smaller group. (Can't go into several of the Park areas without a licensed guide, so you need to hire someone somehow.) Back in Santiago for a few days, then home for New Year's Eve. All in all a very good trip, highly recommended, especially if you are able to spend time in Chile after the cruise.

 

Stan

 

Thanks for the additional info. We are traveling with 2 other couples. We only have one day in Santiago area and we fly out that night. We figured there wouldn't be very much open on Christmas day but I do wish we could have added on a couple nights in Santiago before flying home. New to cruising so still figuring it out.

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There may be one or two exceptions but generally I think you are correct - you can do it on your own. However, I think a half-day or even one-day guided tour could be useful, the guides are local (with university degrees in archaeology etc) and provide interesting insights different from most guide books. One couple in our group bailed out after the first morning, fed up with the overcrowded bus and some other things. They rented an ATV and did their own thing for the next few days. In retrospect I think they did the right thing. A little bit of the expert local perspective, and then go explore.

 

I can't imagine what those one or two exceptions would be but as for guided or on your own, depends on how much detail you want while you're seeing it. I don't have the patience for that or being herded around, we read up on everything before we went and just talked to the locals in town if we had questions. Great island, very fascinating. The boat houses were cool and caves at Ta Peu, some a tight squeeze to enter and a small flashlight would have been helpful.

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  • 4 years later...
On 4/2/2015 at 5:12 PM, polySeraph said:

After lunch it was time to get back to the hard work of sightseeing while sleepwalking. (Actually, I had gotten about 5 hours of sleep on the plane, but ComputerTravelGuymhad gotten less and was blinking and yawning.) The next stop was another vineyard. This one used organic methods.

 

http://i1352.photobucket.com/albums/q651/polyseraph/Valparaiso%20to%20Fort%20Lauderdale/3-13-IMG_1627-4846_zpslqg67vyc.jpg

 

Sergio pointed out the plants and used and told us how each was used to deliver a quality product without the use of pesticides and other chemicals.

 

http://i1352.photobucket.com/albums/q651/polyseraph/Valparaiso%20to%20Fort%20Lauderdale/3-13-IMG_1627-4841_zpsvacp1pda.jpg

 

I wish I remembered more of his explanation - it was very interesting - but it was after lunch and I was working on a sleep deficit. I do remember his saying that they used the llamas after the harvest to eat the weeds in the vineyard and supply fertilizer.

 

http://i1352.photobucket.com/albums/q651/polyseraph/Valparaiso%20to%20Fort%20Lauderdale/3-13-IMG_1627-4842_zpsqjou4fvp.jpg

 

After leaving the vineyard, we headed to Viña del Mar to spend the remainder of the day driving through the scenery before Sergio dropped us off at our B&B in Valparaiso. I was able to get a short nap and awakened just as we were entering Viña del Mar.

 

The Famous Flower Clock.

 

http://i1352.photobucket.com/albums/q651/polyseraph/Valparaiso%20to%20Fort%20Lauderdale/3-13-IMG_1627-4847_zpsj5ilw073.jpg

 

Another great view of the Chilean coast.

 

http://i1352.photobucket.com/albums/q651/polyseraph/Valparaiso%20to%20Fort%20Lauderdale/3-13-IMG_1627-4851_zps1oacpqeo.jpg

Thorough review with fun pictures of South America cruising. A good reference for future planning. 

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